Verona_fest_09-08

Jeff Green | Feb 26, 2009

With Sunday night’s Academy Awards still so fresh the hearts and minds of avid movie goers, it gives me great excitement to announce with certainty that the red carpet, now rolled up and shoved into a closet somewhere in the dark and dingy innards of the Kodak Theatre, may soon to be unrolled once again - and long before next February, mind you.

Yes… it is true. The red carpet will be unrolled again before the year is out right here in Frontenac County, … in downtown Verona to be precise.

That’s right. It’s now 100% official. The Verona Festival Committee passed a motion at their annual AGM on February 17 voting to have “Hollywood” as their theme for this year’s upcoming Verona Festival. One clever festival volunteer quickly suggested changing “Hollywood” to something more Canadian. Are you ready for this? “Veronawood: Hollywood North of the 401“. Brilliant.

Though not an official title as of yet, it definitely has a ring to it. And the theme is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all ages. The beauty of the theme lies in the fact that the possibilities are endless. Think of parade floats with all of the existing movie genres. And the costumes. And what about festival activities and competitions? Fashion shows, impersonators, lip synching bands of all ages shapes and genres, and of course look-alike contests. So many excellent possibilities. Why not Cameron the Bog Lemming Awards to be handed out to competition winners?

Good for you Verona Festival Committee. The theme of Pirates last year did wonders to give the festival a cohesive look and feel. This year the theme takes on an even wider scope, encompassing endless spin offs.

What a way to start your planning year - and what a way to engage the community. You’re out of the gates running and I can foresee many enthusiasts jumping on the volunteer bandwagon for this one.

Anyone interested in finding out more and/or volunteering for what is likely to be a very memorable Verona Festival please contact Wayne Conway at 613-374-3807 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Interested persons can also feel free to attend the regular Verona Festival planning meetings that are held on the third Tuesday of every month, 7:00 pm at The Verona Lions Hall. The first meeting will be held on March 17.